New figures reveal huge rise in overseas shoppers searching for UK retailers online
UK retailers benefited from huge rises in online searches from overseas shoppers in key markets in the fourth quarter of 2013 according to figures released by the British Retail Consortium and Google.
Data from the BRC-Google Online Retail Monitor shows that overall there was a 64% year-on-year increase in the amount of overseas consumers searching for UK retail brands on smartphones while the amount of tablet searches surged by 41% during the period.
BRC director Helen Dickinson said: “The UK is the world’s second biggest online retail exporter, beaten only by the USA. These new BRC-Google figures show UK retailers are investing heavily in international online experiences, localised websites and faster delivery times to drive exports.”
Looking at key markets, the figures show that there was a massive 231% rise in German smartphone searches for UK brands and a 78% surge in French tablet searches for UK retailers in the period. In addition, there were big increases in searches from the Netherlands and the United States.
Never Miss a Retail Update!Dickinson added: “There were also very positive results from the Russian Federation and Argentina. We will be working hard to make sure that these good trends are not undermined by proposals in these countries for import taxes targeted against cross-border internet sales.”
Peter Fitzgerald, retail director, Google, said: “This Christmas mobile truly came into its own. Those retailers who invested in cross-device experiences – allowing their customers to easily find, buy and discover no matter where they are -reaped the rewards.
“Export continued to be a key driver of growth for our retailers this Christmas, particularly for our clothing and beauty brands. Phenomenal smartphone growth was seen across both emerging and established markets, with 231% growth in smartphone searches from Germany over Q4.
“Finally gadgets continued to be the gift of choice this year, with consoles, tablets & games leading the charge. On smartphones, wedding related searches trended.”
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